Valentine's Day A Racetrack Higgins Story
by GingersKitty08
Summary: Race is in love with Alyssa, and she thinks she loves him too. A little girl named Hattie shakes up everything they know, and... You'll have to read the story to find out the rest. Race/OC, Spot/OC
1. Chapter 1

Racetrack Higgins was the cutest of the Manhattan Newsboys, hands down. I had had a crush on him for ages before he even realized that I was 'that goil dat buys a pape from me ev'ry day.'

I wasn't that gorgeous girl that came from a rich family, but I wasn't just a poor little newsgirl. My family had SOME money, and I was proud of my family. Liking a newsboy wouldn't fit into their plan for me, but somehow, it happened anyway. Race just seemed like the guy for me from the very beginning.

It was February 12, and I was going to get the morning edition of The World from Race. "Good mornin'," he said, "How'd ya like tah buy a pape off me new assistant?" I smiled. "Go on, Hat. She'll buy ya pape."

Race pushed a little girl with blonde braids and big brown eyes towards me and handed her a paper. I got down on one knee so I could look her in the eyes. I smiled at her. "'ello, I'm Alys. What's your name?"

She looked a little scared, but she mumbled back, "Me name's 'attie. Bu' Race calls me 'ats. Buy me pape, ma'am?"

I grinned. She was adorable. "Bu' of course, li'l lady." I reached into my purse and pulled out a penny. "One pape, if you'd please?"

Hattie smiled and handed me the paper. She didn't seem to like taking money, so I handed the penny to Race. Hats ran off to play with Blink, who had called her over to his corner. "You trainin' a new one tahday?"

"A' course I am." Race said, "I can' give up a li'l goil, even if I wan'ed tah. Jack put 'er in my care since I was da one who found 'er."

I looked over at the little girl who looked so happy jumping around Blink while he was selling papers. "Where'd ya find 'er, Race?" I asked, "I wouldn' mind findin' one meself."

Race smiled. "She jus' ran across me path aftah a race. Ya know, I won tree dallahs at dat one. Dat was a good bet."

"Must'a been ya lucky day, huh?" I asked. "It's no' ev'ry day ya find a li'l goil on da streets a' New York."

"Yeah, about dat… Could she stay wid' ya?" I knew it hurt him to ask me that. He hated asking favors. "It's jus'… Jack won' let 'er stay in da bordin' house, or I'd give 'er my bunk."

I looked over at the little girl again. With a good scrubbing, she'd look like a little angel. "I'll see what me mum says. Dat's da best I can do fah ya at da momen'. I'll find ya at Tibby's around dinnah, right?"

Race grinned. "When am I NOT at Tibby's fah dinnah?"

"When ya at a race." I laughed. I turned to leave, when Race called me back.

"Alys… Would ya like tah go tah a pahty wid me," he asked. "It's fah Valentine's Day… I'd undahstand if ya don' wanna go wid me…"

"I'd love tah come wid ya!" I beamed. "Is it a fancy pahty, or jus' a regulah one?"

Race kind of grinned. "I'm not shoah… I'll ask ahround an' I'll get back tah ya."


	2. Chapter 2

I went home and talked to my mother about taking in Hattie. "She's an adorable li'l goil, an' she seems like she'd be no trouble a' all. I'll take care a' 'er an' ev'rythin'. Please?"

After a few hours of begging, and a couple more of my mother arranging things with my father, Hattie was allowed to move in. She'd be sleeping in my room, and I would be taking care of her.

I was so excited about it that I ran to Tibby's. I almost plowed right through Racetrack when he was walking out the door. He laughed when he saw me. "I was jus' goin' out tah find ya," he said. "So, what's tha plan?"

"Hattie can come, and I'll be takin' care a' 'er." I said, clearly out of breath. "An' did ya find out what kind a' pahty it is?"

"It's supposed tah be fancy, so weah somethin' nice." Race said. "'ats'll be 'appy abou' movin' in wid ya. I jus' know she liked ya."

Race ushered me into the restaurant and a few of the newsies turned around to look at me. I was such a familiar face that they paid me no mind and went on with their conversations and dinners. All but Blink and Hattie, who were furiously waving at us.

I smiled and followed Race over to the table. Blink had made sure to leave us two spots, by orders of Hattie. Now that I had bought a paper from her, she seemed to be extremely comfortable around me. She grinned up at me, and I noticed that she was missing a few teeth. The two front ones, to be exact.

"So, 'attie, we gaht a sahprise fah ya." Race said. "Ya know how Jack said ya couldn' stay at da lodgin' house no moah?" Hattie nodded, looking very sad. "Well, I found a place fah ya tah stay. Alys asked ha ma, an' she said she'd be happy tah have ya come stay wid' dem."

Hattie looked like she was just about to burst from excitement. "Really," she asked. "Ya really wan' me tah come live wid ya?"

"Only if ya wanna, sweetie." I said. "But I'd love tah have ya come. I'm da youngest a' tree goils, an' I nevah had a little sistah befoah."

"I nevah had a sistah befoah." Hattie said, "I t'ink I'm gonna like it. Will I be able tah come sell papes wid Race an' Blink?" She gave me the sweetest little puppy dog face ever.

"Well, maybe sometimes. Bu' I was t'inkin' dat ya'd wanna go tah school." I thought about it. "If ya do wanna go tah school, I s'pose ya could sell papes wid dem on Satahdays and Sundays. Maybe I'll come too."

Blink looked over at Race and motioned for him to come with him. They stepped away from the table for a minute, so I decided to make some small talk with Hattie. "So, Hattie, where ya from?"

"I don' really remembah," she said. "I jus' remembah havin' a mom, a dad, an' a big bruthah. Blink reminds me a' 'im."

"Come 'ere," I said. I picked up the little girl and set her on my lap. She looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and I swear I almost cried. "I'll be ya fam'ly now. And ya can come an' see Race an' Blink all da time, I prahmise."

She smiled at me. "So, ya gannah be me mamah?"

"If ya wanna say dat, den shoah." I said, "I'll be like ya mamah."

Race and Blink walked back over, and Blink took her by the hand. "Come on, Hattie," he said. "I need tah tell ya somethin'." He walked outside with her, and Race sat across from me.

"I can see dat ya like 'er already. Dat's great." He smiled. "Blink an' I was talkin' about 'er goin' tah school. She's only a li'l goil. She needs to go fah at least a li'l while, ya know?"

I smiled. "Yeah. I do like 'er. An' I guess she likes me too. She's decided I'm gonna be like 'er mamah."

Race beamed. "See, I tol' ya dat she'd love ya."

"All I wanna know is, if I'm 'er mamah, who's she callin' 'er dad?" I laughed, and Race thought about it.

"Well, if it's anyone around heah, it bettah be me." He looked at me like he couldn't believe he just said that. "I didn' mean… I jus'…"

I laughed a little. "I know what ya meant, Race." He looked at me, a little bit of confusion on his face. "I know ya like me. Don' try tah hide it." I laughed again, and he joined in.

"Shoah. Dat's wha' I meant."

Blink walked Hattie back over to our table and pulled me aside. "She kept talkin' about 'er mamah… Who would ya say dat is?"

"She's decided dat I'm like 'er mamah. Race wants the honah a' bein' called 'er daddy tho. Sahry, Blink." I laughed.

He laughed as well. "Well, I'll see wha' I can do about dat. Ya bettah take good care a' 'er, Alys."

"'ello, Blink. I'm like 'er mamah. A' course I'm gonnah take good care a' 'er."


	3. Chapter 3

Hattie came home with me and my mother was quite appalled when we walked in the door.

"Alyssa, go ge' Na'alie. Tell 'er to run a bath, an' tell Susan to call the dress shop an' have a tailor sen' ovah heah immediately. This li'l goil is in desperate need a' some new clothes."

I ran upstairs to get Natalie and Susan. They were as excited as I was about having a new little sister to dress up and take care of, and I could tell that Hattie was terribly excited about having three older girls to take care of her.

"Come on, Hattie," I said, "Ya get tah take a bath now. Ma wants ya clean when we get ya some new clothes."

Hattie followed me up the stairs and into the bathroom. I set aside her torn up black pants, her dirty blue shirt, and her grey newsboy cap on a chair and her scuffed up, too-big, black boots under it. She'd need something to wear when she wanted to sell papers with Blink and Race.

She hopped in the warm water and poured almost half a bottle of vanilla scented bubble bath in there with her. "I like dis smell," she said. "It reminds me a' me mum."

I smiled. "It's me favorite scent too."

After she was thoroughly clean and plenty pruned, I dried her off with a big, fluffy white towel. "So, Alys… Can I call ya me mum," she asked while I was combing her hair. "I didn' t'ink ya'd mind, bu'… I thou' I should ask foist."

I turned around the little seven year old and looked her straight in the eyes. "Hattie, ya can call me anythin' ya like. I don' mind ya callin' me mum if ya wan'." I smiled at her. "Actchally, I t'ink I like it. An' I'm shoah Race would like ya tah call 'im daddy."

Hattie grinned back at me. "I t'ink ya jus' wanna see wha' 'e does when I say dat, don'cha?"

I laughed. "Ya much smahtah dan dey gives ya credit foah." I took her into my room and dressed her in one of my old nightgowns. "Dis'll keep ya covah'd til da tailah gets heah," I told her. "We'se gettin' ya all-new clothes. Ya excited?"

She nodded wildly. "I shoah am, mum." I grinned. I really did like her calling me that.

Hattie took my hand and I walked downstairs with her. I twirled her around and presented her to my older sisters. She smiled and said, "'ello. Me name's 'attie. 'ow'd'ya do?" And she did a small curtsy. Natalie and Susan thought she was just the most adorable little girl ever.

Natalie pulled me over to her. "She is jus' da cutes' li'l goil I t'ink I've evah seen! Wheah did ya get 'er?"

"She found 'er way into da newsies' house, an' Race asked me tah take 'er in." I explained. "She's jus' a li'l sweetie."

Hattie ran over to me, and leapt into my arms and hugged me tightly. "I loves ya, mummy!"

My mother and sisters looked at me funny, and Natalie took Hattie into another room, under the pretense of showing her some of my old dolls. My mother and Susan wanted an explanation, and I was sure they were going to be telling Natalie and my father as soon as they could.

"Look, it's no' wha' ya t'ink." I said. "She said I remind 'er a' 'er mama. She asked if she could call me 'er ma an' I said shoah. Dat's all it is."

"Well, as long as dat's all it is…" Mama said. "Jus' be shoah if she calls ya dat in public, ya explain it tah anyone ya know." She marched out of the room to meet the tailor at the door.

Susan walked up to me and put her arm around my shoulders. "Alyssa, ya know mum worries abou' us," she said. "She don' wan' da whole neighbahood t'inkin' ya got a daughtah. It could cause some big prahblems fah daddy."

It seemed like everything I did reflected badly on daddy. I was starting to think I should just move into the newsboys lodging house and change my name. I'd cause much less trouble as just some poor girl who sells papers for her money. I'd still take care of Hattie though. Race and Blink entrusted her to me, and I meant to take care of her as well as I could.

Well, mama brought the tailor in, and he had his assistant measure Hattie about twenty different ways, and they started making her some dresses, skirts, and shirts. Hattie looked a little overwhelmed by all the trying-on she was doing, but she really seemed to love it.

She ran up to me, wearing a gorgeous, pale blue party dress, and exclaimed, "Don' I look pre'y, mama?" She twirled around a few times and grinned.

I didn't think I could bear to tear her away from this new world as soon as she had been thrust headfirst into it. I decided just then to stay there for a while longer, and then, if I was STILL an embarrassment to my father, I would go and take Hattie with me.

I smiled. "Ya look grea', sweetie. Go try some moah on. I'll be back in a li'l bi'," I said. "If ya need anythin' at all, go ask Na'alie or Susan. Dey'll help ya."

"Wheah ya goin, mama?" Hattie asked, her brown eyes staring deep into my soul, it seemed.

"I'm goin' fah a walk." I said, "I'll be back in jus' a li'l bi'. I prahmise, as soon as I get back, ya can mahdel all ya new dresses fah me."

That seemed to perk her up, and she ran off to tell Natalie where I was going, and all about what she wanted to model when I got back.


	4. Chapter 4

I walked all the way from my house to the lodging house. Kloppman almost stopped me on my way in, but when he realized it was me, he let me go on upstairs. None of the guys had reason to keep me out, and Kloppman knew I would leave when I was told to.

Race was lying on his bunk, cigar in his mouth, reading the day's paper. He jumped up when he saw me. "Alys! How's 'attie?"

"She loves da house an' all da attention she's gettin'." I said, "Can I talk tah ya fah a minute?"

"Shoah." He pulled me through the open window and up onto the roof. Nobody was up there at the time, so we were guaranteed at least five minutes until someone came looking for us. "Wha's up, Alys?"

"Apparen'ly, I'm an embarrassmen' tah me fam'ly." I said. "'avin' 'attie callin' me mum 'n all." I sat down on a box. "I was wond'rin'… Do ya t'ink, if I paid well enough, Kloppman'd let me stay heah? An' bring 'attie wid me?"

Racetrack just stared. "Ya an embarrassmen' jus' cuz ya have a li'l goil dat like tah call ya mama?" He just couldn't believe how stupid it was. "Ya gotta be kiddin' me. She's seven, an' ya sixteen. Dey gotta know dat it's kinda impahssible fah 'er tah be ya daughtah."

"Yeah, well, apparen'ly, ev'rybahdy in me neighbahood's an idiot." I said. "Can ya ask fah me? I'm not plannin' on movin' in anytime soon. Jus', make shoah 'e keeps a place open fah us?"

He grinned. "Shoah," he said. "Wha're friends fah?"

I smiled, and leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Ya's a good friend, Race. I gotta get home. 'attie wan's tah mahdel all 'er new clothes fah me. Ya wanna come?"

"Shoah. Jus' lemme ge' me ha', an' we'll be on our way." He grinned.

Race grabbed his hat off his bunk, told Jack he'd be out for awhile (to which a few of the other newsies snickered, and got hit in the face with a well-aimed hat from Blink's bunk), and we left. He was so excited about seeing Hattie in her new outfits that he tried to run halfway there.

We got to my house as soon as we could, and Hattie met us at the door. When she saw Race, her face lit up. "Daddy!" she yelled, and launched herself into his arms. He almost fell over because he wasn't expecting it.

"Well, wheah's dis fashiahn show we was prahmised?" I asked. "Come on, 'attie. Ya got plenty a' time tah hug 'im latah."

Hattie jumped up, and I helped Race up as she bounced back into the house. "Mama an' daddy're heah!" I could've hit myself for telling her to call Race "daddy," because as soon as my sisters heard that, they sprinted towards us to see who it was.

"Oh, hey, Race." Natalie said, "How're ya?"

"I'm doin' good." He said. "So, how's 'attie treatin' ya house?"

Mom answered his question. "She's been a li'l angel. Now, she said she wan'ed tah mahdel 'er new clothes fah ya. Come si' in da livin' room. I'll send 'er in in a minute."

I sat next to Race on the couch, and we waited for quite awhile before Hattie swung the door open and paraded in. She was wearing a dark blue skirt and a white shirt with little blue shoes. "How do I look?"

Race smiled. "I like da shoes." I laughed.

"I love it, 'attie." I said. "Show us anothah?"

While she was out changing, Race and I had a bit of a talk. "I'll ask Jack an' Kloppman, bu' I don' know how it's gonnah go ovah wid dem." He said, "Jack didn' wan' 'attie in dere anyways. Havin' YOU theah migh'… Well, cause biggah prahblems."

"Whaddaya mean, Race?" I asked. I seriously didn't know what he could be talking about.

He just stared at me. "Alyssa. Ya gottah know dat half da guys in da house like ya." I had no idea. "Ya a pretty goil. Some a' da guys migh' try tah… Well…"

"Race, ya don' gottah worry about me. I'se a big goil." I said, "I ain' gonna let nobahdy do nothin' tah me dat I got a prahblem wid, okay?"

Racetrack smiled. "I know. Dat's wha' I like about ya, Alys. Ya gaht somethin' about ya dat I jus' like."

I blushed. I knew he didn't think about me the way I thought about him, but that was as good as telling me that he loved me, in my book. "T'anks, Race." I said, still blushing. "Ya real sweet."

"I know." He laughed. "Well, tell 'attie I'm sahry I couldn' stay longah. If ya wan' dat spaht in da house, I gottah talk tah Kloppman as soon as pahssible." He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll see ya tamarrah?"

"Shoah." I said, "I'll bring 'attie by ya cornah tamarrah mornin'." I could feel my face slowly turning brighter shades of red. "Bye, Race."

"Bye, Alys." He walked out the front door, and I watched him walking down the street from the window in the living room.

Hattie walked in and asked where "daddy" had gone, and I told her he had to go home. "We bettah get tah bed, darlin'." I said, "We'se gonnah go see Blink an' daddy tamarrah mornin'. An' we gottah get up oily if we'se gonna get a pape befoah da mornin' rush."

She was so excited about seeing "daddy" and "big brother" that I had to force her out of my bed to put on her pajamas.


	5. Chapter 5

Hattie got up with the sun, and she was jumping up and down on my bed to wake me up. "Mama, mama, mama! Ya said we had tah get up oily if we wan'ed good papes!"

"Be quie', 'attie." I said, "Everybahdy else is still asleep. We gottah le' dem sleep until we ge' back."

She snuck around the room as quietly as possible, and I laughed at her when she fell off the bed trying to put her socks on standing up on the corner. She didn't seem too happy about that, so I went over and kissed her knee where she had hit it on the nightstand.

We snuck around into the kitchen and grabbed an apple each. After we snuck out the front door, Hattie tried to dash down the street towards Brooklyn.

I caught up to her quickly, and turned her in the right direction. "Ya gottah go dis way tah ge' deah, okay?"

"Alrigh'." She smiled up at me. I grabbed her hand so she couldn't really run off again, and we started walking towards the bookstore. That's about where Race's corner was.

Race had been there for a few minutes when we finally arrived. He looked very happy to see us, but his eyes said differently. "Good mornin' 'attie. Buy me last pape?"

Hattie giggled, "Ya go' twen'y more behind ya."

"My goodness, I do. T'ank ya very much, li'l lady."

Racetrack motioned to Blink, who came over and asked Hattie about her pretty new dress. She ran off happily telling him everything that had happened since she had left the day before.

"Wha's wrong, Race?" I asked. "Ya seemed distracted dis mornin'."

"Kloppman says we can' have ya at da lodgin' house. An' it wasn' because of da othah guys." He said. "Kloppy didn' give me a straigh' ansah, so I'se t'inkin' its jus' somethin' he don' wan'." He had hung his head so he didn't have to look me in the eyes. He was obviously very upset about this.

I grabbed his hand, and he looked up at me. "Race, I'll be fine. 'attie's getting' along grea' wid me fam'ly. I t'ink dey migh' even wanna keep 'er." I looked at Hattie sadly. "It's sad, bu'… I can' beah tah leave 'er deah, all by 'erself."

"Whaddaya mean, Alys?" Race asked. "Ya said ya was gonnah take care a' 'attie yaself. Why ya even t'inkin' abou' leavin 'er wid ya fam'ly if dey don' even wan' 'er callin' ya "mama"?"

"It'd be easiah foah 'er." I said. I dropped his hand. "She's a li'l goil. She needs tah be somewheah dat she don' hafta look ou' fah 'erself. Dat's wha' a muthah's foah. I can' take care a' 'er. She can stay wid me mum. Dat's good enough, righ'?"

Race shook his head. "She wan's YOU, Alys. Ya da one she's callin' mama. She wan's ya to take care a 'er." He said it with such passion; I knew he was kind of jealous of me having that kind of responsibility. "So if I has tah ge' a bettah jahb, an' make ya take care a' 'er, ya can bet ya las' penny I will."

"Race, why ya even t'inkin' ya gonnah need tah do dat?" I asked. "Ya can barely take care a' yaself sellin' papes ev'ry day."

"Look, Alys, I gaht a few t'ings I gottah do tahday…" he handed me his papers, "Ya t'ink you'se and 'at's can sell da rest a' dese foah me? I really gahtta go."

I told him, "Shoah. Bu' ya gahttah tell me wheah ya gotta go in such a hurry."

"It's a sahprise." He turned to leave, but rushed back. "Don' fahget abou' dat pahty tamarrah nigh'. I really wan' ya tah be deah. I'se jus' sahrry dat 'attie can' come wid ya. It's an adul' pahty. Anyway, I'se gahtta go."

I walked over to Blink and asked him if he'd sell Race's last twenty papes for me. "Shoah, Alys." He replied, smiling. "Anyt'ing fah da muddah a' dis swee' li'l goil." He patted Hattie's head, and I thanked Blink. "Ya be shoah tah tell Race dat I sold 'em. An' give 'im da money too."

Blink laughed. "When have I evah naht done what ya tol' me to?"

"Jus' abou' any time I leave somethin' of Race's fah ya tah do." I laughed. "Come on, 'attie. We bettah be gettin' home."

"Okay mamah." She waved goodbye to Blink as we walked away. "Bye, Spottie!"

I turned her around, "Why did ya jus' call Blink 'spottie?'"

"Well, because dat's me big bruddah's name." She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I jus' remembah'd dat dis mornin'."


	6. Chapter 6

I could not believe it. This little angel standing with me was none other than the leader of Brooklyn, Spot Conlon,'s little sister. I had to take her to him, just to be sure. And what if he wanted her to stay with him? After all, she is HIS little sister. But what if she wants to stay with me?

Well, I mulled all this over as we walked straight up to the Brooklyn newsboys lodging house. Hattie seemed to remember this place, so I knew it had to be true.

I walked up to one of the guys. "Hey, is Spaht heah?" I asked as politely as I could. The guys surrounded me and Hattie.

"Why ya needs tah know?" The one that asked me looked like he was about seven feet tall. Compared to my height of five foot three, he could've just been five foot eleven, but still. He was huge.

"I needs tah see 'im." I said, trying to sound a little more forceful.

One glared at Hattie. "Is dat ya kid?" He looked straight at me, so I answered, "Yeah, she is."

All the guys in the hall laughed out loud. "Spaht's gonnah FLIP ovah dis one." The tall guy could barely breathe, but he pointed me towards a set of stairs. "Firs' room on dah righ'. Bu' ya prahbably already knew dat."

As Hattie and I walked up the stairs, the guys behind us kept laughing. Hattie was totally confused, but I just kept on pulling her up the stairs. When we got to the door, it was half open, and Spot was standing in a corner, poised with his slingshot, shooting marbles at a can on his dresser.

I knocked lightly on his door, and he dropped the marble. "Who's deah?" He didn't sound too happy about being disturbed, but I went in anyway.

"I'se Alyssa. I'm friends wid some a' da guys from 'hattan." I started with who I was, because I had never met Spot before. I had heard how angry he could get, and from the look in his blue eyes, whoever had told me was right.

"Well wha're ya doin' heah?" he asked angrily. "Ya distoibin' my shootin' practice."

I pulled Hattie in the room from where I had sat her outside the door. "I t'ink dis migh' be yours." I said.

"Look, I'se nevah seen yas befoah." He said, "How could dat be my daughtah? I have enough prahblems wid othah goils tryin' tah pin kids on me, an' I'se sick a' it."

"She ain' ya daughtah," I said, "An' I wasn' tryin' tah pin nothin' on ya. She says she's ya little sistah, so I brough' 'er tah YOU tah tell 'er yes or no."

"Oh…" he seemed to calm down pretty quickly. "Well, lemme see 'er. It's kinda dark in heah."

She walked over to him slowly, and curtsied lightly when she got about a foot away from him. He smiled.

"Dat's me li'l Jenny." He picked her up and twirled her around, hugging her close to him. "Wheah ya bin, Jen?"

Hattie looked confused. "Me name's no' Jenny. It's 'attie. I ain' bin called Jenny befoah."

"Ya was befoah ya go' los', Jen." Spot looked at me. "Whead'd ya find 'er? I bin lookin' fah 'er fah yeahs."

"She toined up at da lodgin' house in 'hattan." I said, "Racetrack an' Kid Blink asked if I could take 'er in. So I did. An' now she found ya. I'm shoah ya wanna take 'er back…"

"I would if I could, uh…"

"My name's Alys." I said. I hadn't realized that I didn't introduce myself.

He smiled, "Yeah, I know who ya ah now. Blink an' Race talk abou' ya non-stop." He laughed. "Dat Blink… He' gaht a big crush on ya."

"Well, why can' ya take Ha—Jenny?" I asked. "Ya nevah said."

He set Hattie/Jenny down on his bed, and he told her to stay there, that we'd be right back. He walked out the door, and I followed.

"I can' take 'er in because a' lahtsa t'ings," he explained. "She's a li'l goil, an' she needs a muddah's care." He looked like it really hurt him to let her go after just finding her. "Ya need tah take 'er back wid ya. I'm no' sayin' dat I don' wanna have her visi'. I'd really enjoy dat. Bu'… Times is hard, an' I'm shoah ya gaht some money, consid'rin' how well ya has 'er dressed."

"I'll take care a' 'er foah ya, Spot." I said, "Ya wan' 'er tah visi' ya soon, or jus' wai' foah ya tah ask tah see 'er?"

Spot grinned. "I'd be glad tah have 'er anytime."

He showed me the way out, after putting a few guys straight for thinking that Hattie was his daughter. "She's my sistah, an' Alys is takin' care a' 'er. If I heahs anyt'in' else on da subjec' othah than how pretty Alys is, or ya talkin' abou' how swee' Jenny is, some a' ya is gonnah be in some majah pain. Ya gaht it?"

All the guys agreed immediately. I felt sorry for some of them, because he punched one on the way down the stairs for saying, "How's ya goilfriend?" and another for asking how old his daughter was.

Hattie and I walked out of the lodging house and she sat down on the front steps. I sat down beside her, and she crawled onto my lap and started to cry. "Wha's wrong, darlin'?"

"Why don' I remembah if 'e's me bruddah or no'?" She was very upset about not remembering Spot. "'E seems really nice, bu' I don' remembah 'im."

"Well he shoah remembahs YOU, 'ats." I said, "Ya jus' gottah believe dat 'e's tellin' ya da truth. I jus' know 'e is."

She put her head on my shoulder, and I just about started to cry myself. "Mamah, can we have daddy ovah fah dinnah tahnigh'?"

"A' course we can, 'oney." I said, rubbing her back. "I'm shoah e'd love tah come see ya again."


	7. Chapter 7

Race did come over for dinner that night, and he was very excited about something. He just had to tell me about it, but in private.

"Alys, I go' a real jahb." He couldn't hold in the excitement any longer. "Ya gonnah be able tah take care a' 'attie like a real mamah can." He tried to explain how that was going to work out, but I interrupted him.

"Race, 'attie is Spaht's li'l sistah." I said. Race's face dropped like he had just seen someone getting killed on the streets right in front of him. "'e doesn' wan' 'er back, so we can still take care a' 'er, jus'… I though' ya should know."

He just stood there in the hall for a minute. "Ya gottah be kiddin' me," he said. "My li'l goil is dat monstah's sistah?"

"'e's no' a monstah, Race." I explained about me and Hattie going to see him and how everyone thought she was his daughter and I had come to break the news to him. Race laughed. "See, Race? I didn' 'ave da 'aht naht tah tell 'im I'd found 'is long-lost sistah."

"Okay. I gottah admi', it was swee' a' ya." Race smiled. "'ow'se we gonnah woik dis ou' wid 'im though?"

I looked at him, confused. "Woik wha' ou' wid 'im?"

"Oh, I didn' tell ya yet, did I… If I'se gonnah take care a' ya an' 'attie, we'se gonnah be movin'."

Mama called out to us from the dining room that dinner was served, but I had to talk to Race about this. "Ya gonnah move wheah?"

"Alys, I don' t'ink ya hoid me. WE'SE gonnah be movin' tah New Joisey." He seemed all excited about it again. "I gaht a jahb on a farm. It won' be easy money, bu' it's da best I can do fah you goils righ' now."

"Bu'… Race… 'ow do ya know I wannah let ya take care a' us?" I asked. "I'se 'er muddah. I need tah do it. Ya can keep ya money. I don' wan' 'elp."

Race sighed. "Alys, ya can' 'elp 'er all by yaself. Ya need somebahdy tah take care a' ya too."

"I do no'." I said, stubbornly. "I can do dis all by meself. I don' need anybahdy's 'elp."

He looked so frustrated with me. Hattie ran into the room and asked why we weren't at dinner yet. Race leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I gottah go, 'attie. Bu' I'll see ya tamarrah." He walked out the front door without another look at me.

I couldn't stand to see him upset, but I just didn't want his help. Why couldn't he understand that?

"Mamah, wheah'd daddy go?"

I looked down at Hattie. "I t'ink ya need tah stahp callin' Race "daddy," sweetheart. It makes 'im feel bad dat 'e can' take care a' ya like a REAL daddy."

"Oh." She looked down at her shoes. "Can I staht callin' Blink 'daddy' then?"

I got down on her level. "Baby, I don' t'ink ya should call ANYBAHDY 'daddy'. Ya okay wid dat fah now?"

She nodded, and skipped off into the kitchen. I couldn't stand telling her to stop calling Race her daddy. It made him so happy, but I felt that as long as she did it, I was leading him on. I like him, but now that I've seen what he wants to do for me and Hattie, I didn't want to make him think I liked him as more than just a good friend.

Why did she want a daddy so badly anyway? Mine wasn't all that great. He was never home, and when he did come, he totally ignored me. I was invisible to my father. My older sisters got little presents from wherever he had gone that day, and my mother got something nice once in awhile, but I never got anything.

I walked into the dining room and everyone asked me where Race had gone. "'e 'ad to go 'ome." I said, "'e 'ad somethin' tah take care a'."

Everyone accepted my answer, and went on with dinner like usual.

After dinner, I took Hattie upstairs to my room, and we went to bed early. I needed some sleep after everything that had happened today, and she looked a little tired herself.

"Goodnigh' mamah." She cuddled close to me. "I love ya."

After hearing her say that, I couldn't get any sleep at all. She really needed parents who could take care of her. I was just keeping her off the streets right now. Hattie was a sweet little girl that needed a real home, though.

I fell asleep around three minutes before she woke up and started bouncing on my bed. "Mamah, mamah, wake up!"

I got up and took a bath. I really needed to think, and I did my best thinking in the bathtub. If Race wanted to take care of both of us, why didn't I let him take Hattie. He could take care of her by adopting her as his own, and he'd be taking care of me by not forcing me to be a mother before my time.

Natalie knocked on the bathroom door and asked if she could come in. I told her yes, and she sat on a chair next to the bathtub. "Alys, I need tah talk wid ya."

"Alrigh'." I said, "Do ya woist."

"'attie says dat ya scared Race off last nigh'. Is dat true?" Natalie heard everything from Hattie. She was like her second adopted mother. "I don' wannah cause any trouble between ya, bu' it jus' seems like ya don' like 'im so much anymoah."

"Ya righ'." I said, "I don' like 'im much anymoah." I started to cry and tell Natalie everything. She nodded her head like she understood all of it.

"Alyssa, ya gottah tell 'im all dis stuff." She really did give some good advice sometimes, so I was hoping this was one of those days. "'e don' know wha' ya feelin'. Ya gottah tell 'im." She got up to leave, but came back for a second. "An', from wha' ya tellin' me, it really sounds like ya go' a li'l crush on 'er big brothah."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Here's the eighth chapter. I'm sure you're all totally excited about that. Lol.**_

_**Special thanks to: Eruanna Undomiel and OrigamiChick. Thanks for the reviews!**_

_**And now, back to the story. =D**_

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I sat in the tub, a total prune, but I had to think about it. Spot was a nice guy that was tough when he needed to be. He seemed like a very fair kind of guy, and I guess I did kinda like him. I kept thinking about this after I got out of the bathtub, and while I got dressed.

"Mamah, ya puttin' ya shoes on da wrong feet." Hattie said, "Lemme help ya."

"T'anks, darlin'." I said, "I guess I'm a li'l bi' distracted."

She nodded as if she understood. "Ya said we could visi' Blink tahday. Can we go now?"

I smiled. "Shoah. An' let's ge' breakfas' at Tibby's. Ya desoive a good breakfas' once in awhile."

We left at once for Tibby's, and some of the newsies had started trickling in. Blink was at a table with Jack and Race, but he joined us at a different table.

"I heah ya kinda killed Race's dream." Blink knew everything about everything. He gossiped as good as any girl, and he kept secrets even better. "Wha's up?"

I walked Hattie over to talk to Race, and came back. "Blink, ya gottah help me." I said, "I though' I was in love wid Race, bu' now dat 'e wan's tah take care a' me, I don'. Wha's wrong wid me?"

Blink laughed. "Ya don' wan' anybahdy tah take care a' ya, Alys. I'se knew dat since ya stahted visitin' us." He smiled at me. "Ya an indahpendent woman. I likes dat abou' ya."

"Yeah, well, so did Race up until 'e stahted wid da, 'Lemme take care a' ya. I gaht a jahb in Joisie.' I don' wanna be taken care a'. I wanna take care a' meself." I let Blink know everything that Natalie had told me, and he completely agreed. "I even though' abou' sendin' 'attie wid Race when 'e goes tah Joisie. I could tell Spaht dat she wanted tah go wid 'im…"

"It's ya own choice, Alys." Blink said. "I can' 'elp ya dere."

Race had walked up while we were talking, but apparently didn't hear too much, because all he asked was, "Wha's ya own choice, Alys?"

I whirled around and said, "I'se consid'rin' sendin' 'attie wid ya tah Joisie. I'se pretty shoah Spaht won' mind too much."

"Well, I'd love tah have 'er come wid me. Bu' I wan' 'er tah choose fah 'erself," he replied. "I don' wanna preshah anybody tah come wid me dat don' wanna."

I sighed and turned back around. The waiter had just brought me what I usually ordered. A slice of toast, grape jam, and cocoa. _**(Author's Note: You can tell what I want for breakfast. Lol. Best breakfast ever!)**_ Blink responded to Race's obvious slam to me with, "If she don' wanna go, ya can' make 'er, Race. She's a indahpenant goil. Ya gahtta respect 'er fah it."

"Whatevah." Race said, "I'se takin' me breakfas' elsewheah." He picked up his food, and walked out the front door. I have never seen Race as upset as he was right then.

"Wheah's dadd--- I mean Race, goin', Mamah?" Hattie had walked up to the table as Race stormed off.

I just looked at the front door. I hated to see him like that, and know that I had caused it. Blink took Hattie over to another table when I started looking like I was about to cry. He later told me that Hattie wanted to go comfort me, but Jack wanted her to sing a song he had taught her for the guys.

A few moments later, Race walked back inside and complained about it being "too damn cold out theah."

* * *

Hattie and I went by the Brooklyn Lodging House after breakfast, and as soon as we walked in the door, Spot asked her to sing the song Jack had taught her. How he found out about it that soon, I would never know. It was one of the amazing things about being the leader of a group of newsies.

Hattie got up on a chair and sang loud enough to wake the dead. All the guys thought she was just adorable, and Spot was laughing the whole time. "Ain' she da cutest?"

"Yeah, yeah…" I said, "Spaht, I got sumthin' tah ask ya."

"Shoah," he said, "Is dis a private convahsatian?"

I nodded, and we walked upstairs to his room, after telling Hattie to keep entertaining the guys.

"Race was t'inkin' abou' takin' me an' 'attie tah Joisie wid 'im, since 'e gaht a jahb deah tah help take care a' 'er." I explained. "I don' wanna go wid 'im, cuz, like Blink says, "I'se a indahpendan' goil."."

Spot laughed. "Well, I guess I'd be a li'l bi' upse' abou' 'er not bein' heah anymoah… Bu' I'se shoah dat YOU could help me wid dat, couldn' ya?" He winked seductively.

I giggled. "Come on, Spaht… Be serious." I said, "Does ya wan' 'er tah stay, or do ya care?"

"A' course I care. She's me sistah." He looked offended, but then laughed. "Bu' if Racetrack Higgins t'inks 'e can take care a' a Conlon widou' help, 'e's go' anothah t'ing comin'."

* * *

That night was the big party Race had asked me to go with him to. I felt a little wrong going there, but I had been invited, so I was going to go.

When I got to Medda's, every newsie from almost every group was there. Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens… All of them.

It turned out to be a pretty great party. There was plenty to drink, and tons of dancing. I danced a few slow songs with Blink and Spot, and all the faster ones, they shared me. Race didn't approach me at all. He was sitting in a corner; hanging on to his drink like it was going to disappear if he didn't.

I walked over to him, and laid a hand on his shoulder. He jumped almost two feet off the chair. "Whadda ya wan', Alyssa?"

"I wanna make up wid ya, Race." I said, "Ya gonnah be takin' 'attie wid ya, an' I wanna make shoah dat I'se gonnah heah from 'er again."

"I wouldn' keep 'er from writin' ya, ya know." He was still upset with me. "I'se not CRUEL, like some people seem tah t'ink I am."

"I don' t'ink ya cruel, Race. I jus'… I don' like people t'inkin' I can' take care a' meself. I'se always been like dis. I guess ya jus' nevah noticed." I sighed. "Ya know, ya can sit down ya drink, righ'? Nobahdy's gonnah take it from ya."

After that, Race calmed down a little, and even joined in the dancing. After the party, the Brooklyn newsies went back to the Manhattan Lodging House for a big poker match at which Race won most of his games. He's never been that lucky before. Probably because he's never been as happy as he was.

We'd made up, and he was taking his favorite person with him to his new home in New Jersey. I silently wished for him to find someone that he could love when he got there. She'd have to be one of those girls that want to be taken care of, but I'm sure he'd find one.


	9. An Apology from the Author

Sorry, guys. I kinda lost track of where I was going with this story in the first place. I may take parts of it and integrate it into another story, or I may just leave it up here, and whoever wants to can send ideas, and maybe I'll continue it… Who knows. Thanks for reading!


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